Governor-elect Rick Scott created a transition team to address issues facing the state and develop a plan to address them. On that team was Sam Forrest, Florida Power & Light’s vice president of Energy Marketing & Trading.

Following his election in 2010, Governor-elect Rick Scott created a transition team to address issues facing the state and develop a plan to address them. On that team was Sam Forrest, Florida Power & Light’s vice president of Energy Marketing & Trading.

According to documents obtained by Eyewitness News, Forrest suggested the construction of a natural gas pipeline, noting that legislation would be required. In the 2013 legislative session, lawmakers passed and Governor Scott signed HB 1083. The bill “declares underground natural gas storage to be in public interest,” and helped pave the way for FP&L’s pipeline proposal. Under that plan, a pipeline stretching from Alabama will deliver natural gas to Florida with FP&L as the main customer. The pipeline will be built by FP&L’s parent company NextEra Energy and Houston-based Sabal Trail Transmission. Under an agreement with Florida Public Service Commission, the agency in charge of utilities in the state, FP&L will be allowed to charge its customers for the fuel and fuel transmission costs once the pipeline is active.